Device for holding infants



M r h 1 1959 M. o. ACKERSON 2,876,459

DEVICE FOR HOLDING INFANTS Filed May 7, 1956 v INVENTOR. MILDRED 0.Aczseso/v I flrrOQA/EX United States Patent DEVICE FOR HOLDING INFANTSMildred 0. Ackerson, Upland, Calif. Application May 7, 1956, Serial No.583,039

2 Claims. (Cl. 4-185) The present invention relates to a device whicheffectively holds an infant during a bathing operation.

The device of the invention is adapted for placement in a tub or otherlocation, the tub being filled to a certain level with water, the saiddevice being supported within the tub in such a manner as to hold theinfant elevated above the water level. The device is so constructed thatthe likelihood of the infant falling into the tub or otherwise injuringitself is reduced to a minimum.

As generally known, infants are difiicult to handle during a bathingoperation. However, with the present invention, the operator orattendant need not hold the infant during a bathing operation, as thedevice effectively holds the infant so that both hands of the attendantor operator are released.

The invention has for an object the provision of a device for holdinginfants which is attractive in appearance, efiicient in actual use,inexpensive in cost of manufacture, and generally superior to devicesnow known to the inventor.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device of the invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view ure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional view on ure 1, and

Figure 4 is a sectional view ure 1.

Referring now with particularity to the drawing, I have provided a onepiece structure which may be formed of any material desired, such as amolded plastic, and which may or may not be transparent. The holder 1 isof hollow convex form and provided with a base flange 2 which lies in asingle plane. The top or upper surface of the holder is provided withdownwardly dished concavities 3 and 4, with a convex portion 5separating said concavities. The major concavity 3 is for receiving thebody and arms on the line 2-2 of Figthe line 3-3 of Figon the line 4-4of Figof the infant, while the minor concavity 4 receives and holds thehead. The major concavity is about twice as long longitudinally as theminor concavity 4. The convex portion 5 forms a ridge which supports theneck. The crest of the ridge is smoothly curved longitudinally and alsotransversely with the ridge sloping downward from both sides to a lowercenter portion. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the torso supportingconcavity 3 is formed by providing a plane surface 6 which slopes fromthe convex portion 5 toward one end 7 of the holder, and bounding theplane surface 6 are side walls 8 and 9, which commence with the convexportion 5 and then curve outwardly and divergently diminishing in wallheight toward end 7. It will be observed that the greatest height of theside wall is at 10 and 11, and between these portions the shoulders ofthe infant are placed. The convex portion 5 is curved downwardly, asshown at 12, to accommodate the general curvature of the back of theneck and so as to be comfortable to the infant. The degree of are at theneck portion is sufficient to fit the infants neck, and assist inholding the infants head, as well as an aid in preventing the infantfrom slipping endwise.

The head rest, which consists of the portion 4, is in the form of ahollow oval or of spoon form and slopes downwardly or at an inclinationfrom the portion 5 to end 13 of the holder. The end 13 is a portion ofthe upwardly and inwardly sloping wall of the holder rising from thebase on at least three sides, and preferably, as illustrated, on allfour sides. This outer wall of the holder merges with the side portions8 and 9 of the major concavity 3 and with the margin of the minorconcavity 4. At the zone of greatest depth of concavity, I have provideda series of holes 14 to permit water drainage there from. I may or maynot provide holes in the portion 6, as this portion slopes downwardlytoward end 7 and will drain water back into the tub. Portion 5 may beprovided with drainage holes, as shown.

The operation, uses and advantages of the invention just described areas follows:

The device of the invention is placed in a tub and water of a giventemperature surrounds the device to a given depth. The device will restevenly within the tub due to the base flange 2, which lies in ahorizontal plane. The attendant then places the infant on the device,the head being received in the rest 4, the neck at the portion 5, andthe body and limbs on portion 3. The weight of the infant upon theholder prevents the latter from moving about in the tub. All of theseportions tend to hold the infant in a defined position so that theinfant will not fall or slip from the device, and the usual squirmingmovement of the infant is restricted, to the end that the operator maybathe the infant without holding the infant with one hand, both hands ofthe attendant being free for this purpose. The depth of the side walls 8and 9 at the zones 10 and 11 allows the shoulders of the infant to beplaced therebetween and to prevent movement without injury or discomfortto the infant. The nature of the neck portion 5 is such as to assurethat the infants head, together with the shoulders, is so held as to aidin preventing the infant from slipping from the device. As water andsoap are applied to the body of the infant, the soap and water areprevented from entering the infants eyes due to the fact that drainageis provided by the holes 14 so that the head-rest portion issubstantially free of water and soap at all times, while the body andlimbs are free from resting in the water by the slope of the portion 6which allows drainage.

As has been previously stated, the device may be formed of any materialdesired, such as a transparent plastic, which renders a device of thischaracter quite light, easy to handle, and sanitary.

It is evident that there will be no slipping of the infant lengthwise asthe head and the torso supporting portions are angularly related. 1

I claim:

1. A device for holding an infant during bathing in a manner to minimizethe possibility of slipping and therefore to relieve the attendant ofmanually restraining the infant, comprising a holder having its uppersurface generally convex both longitudinally and transversely but disheddownwardly to provide two longitudinally spaced concavities, one a minorconcavity shaped generally like the bowl of a spoon in order to receiveand support the head of the infant and the other a major concavityhaving a bottom longitudinally sloping downward from proximate the minorconcavity and being generally horizontal in transverse cross section tosupport the torso of the infant and to drain water from the majorconcavity, said holder having an inwardly and upwardly sloping outerwall rising from the bottom of the holder on at least three sides toform a portion of said convex surface, and a Patented Mar. 10, 1959sloping downward from both sides, to a central portion,

said major concavity having side portions rising from its bottom on bothsides to receive and confine the shoulders of the infant, said outerwall of the holder merging with the side portions of the major concavityand with the margin of the minor concavity.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the entire holder is of a singlemolded piece of plastic of uniform thickness, the holder outer wall hasits bottom in a single plane and extends all around the device with theportion thereof at the foot end of the holder merging with the bottom ofthe major concavity, and the longitudinal dimension of the majorconcavity is roughly twice that of the. minor concavity, whereby whenthe device is placed in a bathtub partially filled with warm water theweight of the infant upon the holder will prevent the latter from movingabout in the tub.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,315,643 Schwartz Sept. 9, 1919 1,512,068 I Thornburg Oct, 21, 19241,546,536 Black July 21, 1925 1,962,076 Iadkowski June 5, 1934 2,505,252Langley Apr. 25, 1950 2,531,724 Cevasco Nov. 28, 1950 2,548,301 GibsonApr. 10, 1951

